In motor vehicle applications, there are challenges with designing movable windows or door glass to drop inside of the door structure. Often, the shape of the lower door structure does not accommodate the complete lowering of a full door glass window using traditional automotive hardware systems. This is typically an issue on rear side doors, where the location of the rear wheel well might necessitate a certain shape and size of the lowered door structure that is smaller than desired, or on a front door with an outside rearview mirror that is not mounted above the belt line.
In the past this problem has generally been resolved by one of two compromises. In the first of these compromises, illustrated in FIG. 1a, the window or door glass W does not drop completely below the belt line B found on the door at the lower side of the window frame. In this situation, the vehicle occupant does not have a comfortable place to rest his arm when the window is down. Further, there is only limited room to pass items through the opening O above the window and the portion of the opening remaining covered by the window significantly limits available ventilation.
In option number 2, illustrated in FIG. 1b, the size of the movable portion of the window or door glass W is reduced so that portion may be fully opened and dropped into the door panel P. Unfortunately, this compromise limits the size of the window opening above the door and increases the cost and complexity of the window system due to, for example, the addition of a fixed piece of glass G and the division bar seal S or an applique that blocks a portion of the daylight opening.
This document relates to a new and improved apparatus and method that allow the full lowering of a window and division bar into the door panel below the beltline while avoiding the compromises set forth above.